


Fake Party Banter

by FenHarelMaGhilana (WhitethornWolf)



Series: Nyssa of Ralaferin [4]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Fake Party Banter, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24195013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhitethornWolf/pseuds/FenHarelMaGhilana
Summary: A collection of the fake party banter written for my Inquisition companion OC, Nyssa. Will be updated frequently.
Series: Nyssa of Ralaferin [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/913779
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9
Collections: Dragon Age Den fic collection





	1. Nyssa and Blackwall

**Author's Note:**

> Learn more about Nyssa @lesbianarcana on tumblr.
> 
> Last updated - 15 May 2020

**Blackwall:** Nyssa, I have a question.

 **Nyssa:** Is it about the vallaslin?

 **Blackwall:** You mean the tattoos? Yeah. Are they for decoration, or do they mean something?

 **Nyssa:** The Dalish receive them when we come of age. The designs are meant to honour a particular god or goddess. Mine honours Mythal, the goddess of justice. Or vengeance, depending on who you ask.

 **Blackwall:** That explains a lot.

 **Nyssa:** Excuse me?

 **Blackwall:** Nothing.

* * *

 **Blackwall:** What do you and Solas talk about in elven?

_(if Varric is present)_

  * **Varric** : Elfy shit.
  * **Nyssa:** Something like that.



_(otherwise)_

**Nyssa:** If I was going to talk about you, I wouldn’t do it in elven. What would be the point?

* * *

 **Blackwall:** Have I offended you in some way, Lady Nyssa?

 **Nyssa:** I’m no more a lady than you are.

 **Blackwall:** Because you’re an elf?

 **Nyssa:** Never mind. Just drop it.

 **Blackwall:** Are you this cryptic with everyone in Skyhold, or just with me?

 **Nyssa:** This talking? This is not dropping it

* * *

_(if the Inquisitor is romancing Blackwall)_

**Nyssa:** I hear you and the Inquisitor...

 **Blackwall:** You have an opinion to offer, I take it.

 **Nyssa:** Only that I wish you well.

_(if Revelations is not complete)_

  * **Blackwall:** Er… right. Didn't expect that.
  * **Nyssa:** I know.



_(otherwise)_

**Blackwall:** Even after all that’s happened?

 **Nyssa:** That’s none of my business. All I offer are my good wishes.

 **Blackwall:** I’ll take what I can get.

* * *

 **Blackwall:** Your father was a soldier, you said.

 **Nyssa:** Of a sort. He was the warleader of my clan; he commanded the warriors and the hunters. He died when I was seventeen.

 **Blackwall:** I’m sorry.

 **Nyssa:** Why? You didn’t know him.

 **Blackwall:** He was your father. It can’t have been easy.

 **Nyssa:** Of course not. I just… _(sighs)_ thank you.

 **Blackwall:** Was that so hard?

 **Nyssa:** Don’t push it.

* * *

 **Blackwall:** I heard from Varric about that diamondback game the other night. Thought I told you never to play with Solas.

 **Nyssa:** It wasn’t so bad. It ended on a draw.

 **Blackwall:** Do I even want to know?

 **Nyssa:** Let's just say I wasn't the only one who needed a bucket.

_(if Solas is present)_

  * **Solas:** As I recall, you needed two.
  * **Nyssa:** _(laughs)_



* * *

**Blackwall:** Are you alright?

 **Nyssa:** Me?

 **Blackwall:** The scuffle down by the healers' tent. Some fellow shouting loud enough for half of Skyhold to hear.

 **Nyssa:** They brought in his wife, but I wasn't able to save her. He was grieving, that's all.

 **Blackwall:** Was it his wife he called a knife-eared whore, or just you?

 **Nyssa:** I’m used to it.

* * *

 **Blackwall:** Knew a Dalish elf in the Wardens once. Best shot with a bow I've ever seen.

 **Nyssa:** If they were a hunter, that's not a surprise. Find me a human who’s a better archer than a Dalish hunter and I’ll show you an outlier.

 **Blackwall:** You say that as if it were a fact.

 **Nyssa:** Elves have better depth perception and night vision than you humans. We’re a bit like cats… with deadly weapons.

 **Blackwall:** Good to know!

* * *

 **Blackwall:** What fault do you find with me now, Lady Nyssa?

 **Nyssa:** That you address me as ‘Lady’ is one.

 **Blackwall:** I’m trying to be civil. What exactly do you want from me?

 **Nyssa:** To stop pestering me with questions about my opinion of you would be ideal.

 **Blackwall:** I see.

 **Nyssa:** You _did_ ask.

* * *

 **Blackwall:** Do you need a staff to cast spells?

 **Nyssa:** No, but it helps to focus my magic. I also like to hit people who get too close.

 **Blackwall:** I’m almost afraid to ask what the blade is for.

 **Nyssa:** Stabbing.

* * *

 **Blackwall:** This elf of yours—

 **Nyssa:** You tread carefully now.

 **Blackwall:** The tattoos. Do yours glow, and I’ve missed it?

 **Nyssa:** No. Fenris’s tattoos are not _vallaslin_.

 **Blackwall:** Then what are they?

 **Nyssa:** Ask him for the story. It’s not mine to tell.

* * *

_(if Revelations is complete)_

**Blackwall:** I'm surprised you've got nothing to say about who I was, Lady Nyssa.

 **Nyssa:** I don’t think you would like to hear what I think.

 **Blackwall:** You’ve made your opinions clear before.

 **Nyssa:** _(sighs)_ Fine. If you really want to know, I think you’re a reprehensible human being who killed innocent children, stole another man’s face and masqueraded as a Grey Warden for years so you could use their reputation and prestige for your own ends. Even if you did not commit those crimes, you’re still a human and an Orlesian. Neither are things I hold in high regard. Am I being clear?

_(if the Inquisitor is romancing Blackwall)_

  * **Inquisitor:** Nyssa, be quiet. No more.
  * **Nyssa:** I will hold my tongue, but I will not apologise.



_(or)_

  * **Inquisitor:** I don’t think you could be any clearer if you spat in his face.
  * **Nyssa:** There are limits, even for me.



_(otherwise)_

**Blackwall:** Ah. Well… suppose I did ask.

 **Nyssa:** You did. For what it’s worth, Rainier, you also turned yourself in and have made every effort to atone. I did not expect that.

 **Blackwall:** Thank you.

 **Nyssa:** Do not thank me. I would have left you in Orlais.


	2. Nyssa and Cassandra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last updated - 15 May 2020

**Cassandra:** Have you fought demons before, Nyssa?

**Nyssa:** Yes, the Dirth is teeming with them. Mostly weak things like rage demons and wraiths, but I did recently help one of the outposts with a desire demon that took hold of one of its prisoners. Now, that was a fun battle. I almost had to pry her claws off him by force.

**Cassandra:** I’m told desire demons can be difficult to resist.

**Nyssa:** It depends on what it offers. This one could give me nothing I wanted.

* * *

**Cassandra:** You said this desire demon did not offer you what you wanted.

**Nyssa:** Ah, I was wondering when you’d pick up on that.

**Cassandra:** You know what I will ask. Were there others?

**Nyssa:** You’re a templar. You don’t really expect me to answer truthfully, do you?

**Cassandra:** I am not a templar. I am a Seeker of Truth.

**Nyssa:** Then go seek it elsewhere.

**Cassandra:** I did not mean to offend you by asking of your experience with demons, Nyssa. I wish only to have the measure of you.

**Nyssa:** _ (laughs) _ At least you’re honest about it. I have been tempted, once, at my weakest moment. It was a long time ago and I’m not proud of it. And no, I don’t want to talk about it.

**Cassandra:** Clearly you had the strength to resist. That is enough to satisfy me.

**Nyssa:** Not. Talking. About it.

* * *

**Cassandra:** Do you believe in fate or destiny, Nyssa?

**Nyssa:** No.

**Cassandra:** You think it mere coincidence that only the Inquisitor survived the explosion at the Temple of Sacred Ashes?

**Nyssa:** It was certainly no coincidence, but I don’t believe in the Maker.

**Cassandra:** I see. I… am not certain what answer I expected.

**Nyssa:** That makes two of us.

* * *

**Cassandra:** Varric tells me you also read Swords and Shields.

**Nyssa:** I skimmed over it. It wasn’t a bad read.

**Cassandra:** Yet you laughed at me when you discovered I was reading it!

**Nyssa:** I didn't expect you to be a romantic.

**Cassandra:** I suppose I could say the same for you.

**Nyssa:** Some of the most prolific battles in history were waged in the name of love. What do you think that teaches us?

**Cassandra:** _(laughs)_ That love can make us foolish?

**Nyssa:** That love is an ideal worth fighting for. Do not be ashamed of your passions, Cassandra. Embrace them. And if anyone mocks you, hit them with your shield.

* * *

**Nyssa:** I heard of you when I was living in Val Royeaux, you know.  _ The Hero of Orlais. _

**Cassandra:** _(sighs)_ Nyssa.

**Nyssa:** You have a statue and everything. How’s it feel to be famous?

**Cassandra:** Right now, it is incredibly annoying.

* * *

**Cassandra:** It is difficult to imagine you doing well as a servant.

**Nyssa:** It wasn’t hard. Most humans think elves are born to serve them. You bow and scrape, you fetch their food, and if you’re lucky you’ll only be groped on special occasions.

**Cassandra:** I hope you are joking.

**Nyssa:** Clearly you’ve never been a servant.

* * *

**Cassandra:** I suppose being a servant aided you with your activities at the University, Nyssa.

**Nyssa:** Oh no. I posed as a Tranquil back then, on loan from the White Spire. Nobody would look at me long enough to see what I was really doing.  _ (laughs) _ I gave them all the creeps.

**Cassandra:** I… see.

* * *

**Cassandra:** How long were you wandering the Dales before you joined us?

**Nyssa:** I was not wandering. I was seeking. There is a difference.

**Cassandra:** Seeking what, exactly?

**Nyssa:** A sense of pride. The truth. My next meal. I’ll let you pick.

**Cassandra:** Must you always be so difficult?

* * *

**Nyssa:** Is it true that death rites in your country are overseen by mages?

**Cassandra:** The Mortalitasi prepare the dead to be entombed in the Grand Necropolis, yes. In truth, I do not understand the fascination my country has with death.

**Nyssa:** For some, it can be comforting to celebrate a life well lived. Wouldn’t you want to be honoured after you pass?

**Cassandra:** I doubt I shall be remembered as fondly.

**Nyssa:** You don’t know that. You have an impressive list of accomplishments.

* * *

**Cassandra:** You did not seem happy to visit the Emerald Graves, Nyssa. I assumed you would have liked to have seen a place your ancestors once walked.

**Nyssa:** I didn't want this.

**Cassandra:** Then what did you hope to see?

**Nyssa:** The ground untouched by human footsteps. Every ruin intact, every tree unspoiled.

**Cassandra:** I—

**Nyssa:** Maybe less giants, if I’m being picky.

* * *

_ (after Promise of Destruction is complete) _

**Nyssa:** I’m sorry about the Seekers, Cassandra.

**Cassandra:** Are you truly?

**Nyssa:** You bear no blame for secrets you did not possess. And... I know what it’s like to not be aware of your own power. I didn’t know I was a Dreamer for many years.

**Cassandra:** How is that possible?

**Nyssa:** My Keeper withheld the knowledge from me. She said it was for my own protection, but I suspect fear had more to do with it.

**Cassandra:** How often our mentors say the ignorance is for our protection and yet, how often I find it not true.

* * *

**Cassandra:** Do you truly not believe in your people’s gods, Nyssa?

**Nyssa:** Is that so difficult a concept to grasp?

**Cassandra:** Not difficult, but odd. I have never met a person with no faith at all.

**Nyssa:** I didn't say I had no faith. I just don't believe in elven gods.

**Cassandra:** Then… you believe in the Maker?

**Nyssa:** I wouldn’t go that far.

* * *

_ (if Cassandra romanced the Inquisitor) _

**Nyssa:** “On aching branch do blossoms grow, the wind a hallowed breath.”

**Cassandra:** _(splutters)_

**Nyssa:** “His lips on mine speak words not voiced, a prayer.”

**Cassandra:** Maker give me strength.

**Nyssa:** They call this scandalous poetry? Humans are so prudish.

**Cassandra:** Give me that. And not another word.


	3. Nyssa and Cole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last updated 15 May 2020

**Nyssa:** Thank you for helping me with that soldier, Cole.

**Cole:** His blood was sick and slow. Angry, red pain. But he didn’t feel the knife.

**Nyssa:** That’s right. I put him to sleep, so he would feel nothing when I removed his leg.

_ (if Iron Bull is present) _

  * **Iron Bull:** Whoa, you chopped off a guy’s leg? Badass.



_ (otherwise) _

**Cole:** But this isn’t the Fade. It won’t grow back. Even if he wishes it would.

**Nyssa:** No, it won’t grow back. His leg was beyond saving, and he would have died if I did nothing. He will hurt a little while, then he will recover.

**Cole:** A temporary hurt. Taking the leg to give back the life. Pain to begin the healing.

**Nyssa:** Exactly.

* * *

**Cole:** You can’t know everything.

**Nyssa:** What?

**Cole:** You were wondering how Solas knows things you don't. But the world doesn’t sing the same anymore. It’s not your fault.

_ (if Solas is present) _

  * **Solas:** Indeed.
  * **Nyssa:** Moving on!



* * *

**Cole:** Nyssa. Nyssa. Ny-sssssahhh.

**Nyssa:** Yes…?

**Cole:** Lips shaping sounds and sighs. Soft, safe, said like the prayers in the chantry in Minrathous. He will never leave you again.

**Nyssa:** Not in front of everyone, if you please.

_ (if Dorian is present) _

  * **Dorian:** This I have got to hear.



_ (if Iron Bull is present) _

  * **Iron Bull:** Aww, he’s just getting to the good part.



* * *

**Cole:** Why are you so afraid of humans?

**Nyssa:** I’m not.

**Cole:** But you are. The fear is all tangled with the anger. Time has tempered it, but it's still there.

**Nyssa:** _(sighs)_

**Cole:** You don’t need to be afraid. I won't let them hurt you.

* * *

**Cole:** You’re afraid of caves, Nyssa.

**Nyssa:** Am I?

**Cole:** They are dark, dank, sounds dulled by stone walls. I don't like them either, they make it hard to hear.

**Nyssa:** Caves, dungeons, places with too many people and not enough air.

**Cole:** Black walls and hard stone on my knees. The one with the scar dies first. Burn him from the inside out, and make it slow.

**Cole:** Oh. I understand now.

* * *

_ (if Cole becomes more human) _

**Nyssa:** Do you feel better, Cole?

**Cole:** I hurt the templar who hurt me. It made me real.

* * *

**Cole:** " _ Tel’ghilas, hahren _ . I don't want to be alone. Not again.”

**Cole:** He walked away. Why did he do that?

**Nyssa:** Cole, please don't.

**Cole:** But he left you. He hurt you. “I can’t. You know I can’t.”

**Nyssa:** They’re not the same person.

**Cole:** He hurt you too.

**Nyssa:** He didn’t mean to.

* * *

_ (if Cole remains a spirit) _

**Nyssa:** How are you feeling, Cole?

**Cole:** Whole, happy, healed. Free and clear.

**Nyssa:** I'm glad to hear it.

**Cole:** You worried. You wanted me to forgive, forget. You didn't want me to hurt anymore.

**Nyssa:** You sound surprised. Is it so odd to care about a friend?

**Cole:** Thank you.


	4. Nyssa and Dorian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last updated 15 May 2020.

**Dorian:** You have a different style from all of us. Even Solas, though I noticed you use similar techniques.

**Nyssa:** Well, I'm neither a Circle mage nor an Altus, but I am an elf.

**Dorian:** And here I thought the pointy ears were an accessory.

* * *

**Dorian:** I’ve never met an elf quite like you.

**Nyssa:** An elf who isn’t a slave?

**Dorian:** Ah, I—well. No.

_ (if Sera is present) _

  * **Sera:** Heh. Said the same thing to me.



* * *

**Dorian:** I have a question, Nyssa. About the tattoos.

**Nyssa:** The  _ vallaslin? _

**Dorian:** Yes, that. Didn't that hurt?

**Nyssa:** You know, that’s the first thing every human asks me. Of course they hurt. They were etched into my face using a sharp stick and ink, and it took hours. My face didn’t feel good afterwards.

**Dorian:** And they say my people are mad.

* * *

**Nyssa:** You should wear a hat, Dorian, if the sun bothers you so.

**Dorian:** Oh, is it my turn for unwanted advice? Marvelous!

**Nyssa:** Well,  _ someone’s  _ hungover.

* * *

_ (if The Last Resort of Good Men is completed) _

**Nyssa:** I heard what happened with your father, Dorian.

**Dorian:** And now you’re going to inform our present company, I take it.

**Nyssa:** What he did was not love. You do not try to change the ones you love.

**Dorian:** No, you don’t.

* * *

**Dorian:** So. About this little dalliance you have going...

**Nyssa:** _(sighs)_

 **Dorian:** _(laughs)_ Is she that bad? I could give her some pointers. Stage an intervention.

**Nyssa:** Why don’t you stick to what you know.

* * *

_ (if the Inquisitor is in a romance with Dorian) _

**Nyssa:** It's good to see that spring in your step.

**Dorian:** Oh, I should have prepared for this. Bring it on.

**Nyssa:** No mockery intended, Dorian. I'm happy for you, and I wish you well.

**Dorian:** Really? Not even one joke? Not even some pointers?

**Nyssa:** Well, I assumed you don't need an instruction manual. Or do you?

**Dorian:** _(laughs)_

* * *

**Dorian:** You have… an interesting technique, Nyssa.

**Nyssa:** Here we go about my technique again. I point my staff at a thing, the magic goes boom, that's good enough for me.

**Dorian:** I truly can't tell if you're joking.

* * *

**Dorian:** Why don’t the Dalish wear shoes?

**Nyssa:** Excuse me?

**Dorian:** Is it a fashion statement? Is it for sneaking? My curiosity overwhelms me.

**Nyssa:** Shoes are disallowed. It’s part of our religion.

**Dorian:** Really?

**Nyssa:** No, not really.

* * *

**Dorian:** Solas tells me you speak Tevene well.

**Nyssa:** I wouldn’t go that far. I write it much better.

**Dorian:** Oh, come now. Modesty doesn’t suit you. Let me hear it.

**Nyssa:** I told you, I write it better. All I know how to say are curse words.

**Dorian:** Marvelous! Let’s hear them. Oh, don’t glare at me like that.

**Nyssa:** _Festis bei uno canavarum! Vishante kaffas! Fasta vass! Kaffas! Venhedis!_ There! Now are you happy?

**Dorian:** Ah, such a barbaric accent.

**Nyssa:** _ (grumbles) _ Walked right into that one.

* * *

**Dorian:** You never actually answered my question about your magical training, you know.

**Nyssa:** I don’t recall you asking a question. I do recall you mocking me.

**Dorian:** I wasn’t mocking, I was prodding. And I don’t recall it being a problem when you bent my ear on Tevinter.

**Nyssa:** _(laughs)_ Fair enough. My Keeper trained me from a young age, but my education was… a lot more thorough than just magic. I learned our written language, the history of our people. Human history, too.

**Dorian:** What part of human history?

**Nyssa:** All of it. You know the old saying.

**Dorian:** _(laughs)_ Knowledge is power?

**Nyssa:** Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

**Dorian:** Oh.

* * *

**Dorian:** Do you think spirits are people?

**Nyssa:** What an odd question. A better one is why you asked me instead of Solas.

**Dorian:** He’s even less help. At least you humour me before you start sulking.

**Nyssa:** I do not sulk.

* * *

**Dorian:** Are you going to answer my question about spirits?

**Nyssa:** _(sighs)_ Spirits are simple, and they reflect aspects of what you would call human nature. People are not simple. Saying a spirit is exactly like a person is oversimplifying the issue. They are living creatures, but lack a fullness of being possessed by more sapient races. Does that answer your question?

**Dorian:** Yes? Truthfully, I was expecting more sarcasm.

* * *

**Dorian:** Do the Dalish ever take census?

**Nyssa:** We're too widely dispersed to keep accurate records.

**Dorian:** It wasn't always the case, I assume.

**Nyssa:** I heard we tried once, but the elders argued for two days over how much information we should record and who should keep them. The yelling was so loud it attracted a nearby bear, and you can imagine how that went down.


	5. Nyssa and Iron Bull

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last updated 15 May 2020.

**Nyssa:** What do the Qunari do with their mages, Iron Bull?

**Iron Bull:** You don’t want to know.

**Nyssa:** Well, now you’ve just made me curious.

_ (if the Inquisitor is a qunari) _

  * **Inquisitor** : Trust me. You really don’t want to know.



_ (if Solas is present) _

  * **Solas** : You certainly have not held back before, Iron Bull. Why start now?



_ (otherwise) _

**Iron Bull:** _(grumbles)_ You _really_ shouldn’t have asked me.

* * *

**Iron Bull:** I saw you and Krem sparring yesterday.

**Nyssa:** Thoughts?

**Iron Bull:** You can tell you’re not used to wielding a sword. If you stopped swinging it over your head and got closer than ten feet, you could do better.

**Nyssa:** Meet you in the practice yard at sundown?

**Iron Bull:** I’ll be there.

* * *

**Iron Bull:** Saw Dalish and Skinner sneaking out of your room this morning. You three have fun?

**Nyssa:** Pardon?

**Iron Bull:** I’m not asking for a blow-by-blow, or… however you did it. Speaking of which—

**Nyssa:** Keep walking.

* * *

**Iron Bull:** You had eyes on you all the way through that last town.

**Nyssa:** Men. What else can I say.

**Iron Bull:** They weren’t all men.

**Nyssa:** _(laughs)_ That I don’t mind so much.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Do I seem a wilting flower to you?

**Iron Bull:** Uh… not really?

**Nyssa:** Then why not tell me about Qunari mages before I asked?

**Iron Bull:** It wouldn’t have made you feel any better knowing.

**Nyssa:** They would shackle me. Sew my lips. Cut out my tongue. Call me  _ saarebas _ .

**Iron Bull:** Not a  _ bas-saarebas _ . An outside mage they would kill on sight. Can’t trust them not to be corrupted.

**Nyssa:** Oh, wonderful.

* * *

**Iron Bull:** You really aren’t mad about the mage thing?

**Nyssa:** If you were that afraid of mages, I would see it in your eyes. It’s demons that make you nervous.

**Iron Bull:** _(grumbles)_ Well, you don’t have to let _everyone_ know.

* * *

**Nyssa:** To be possessed by a demon, a person must invite it in.

**Iron Bull:** Why are you telling me this?

**Iron Bull:** Wait. You said ‘person’.

**Nyssa:** You think only mages fall prey to demons?

**Iron Bull:** Well, I did until you said that.

**Nyssa:** Remember: if you see demons everywhere, then demons are what you will find.

**Iron Bull:** _(grumbles)_ Demons shit up everything.

* * *

**Iron Bull:** I already asked the Iron Lady, but… cold, fire or lightning?

**Nyssa:** Nature.

**Iron Bull:** Huh?

**Nyssa:** I like to choke our enemies with vines, and command the earth to swallow them whole. Everyone expects mages to conjure fire or ice. There is nothing so terrifying as the very ground coming alive under your feet. Once, I made the earth swallow six people all at the same time. It was fun.

**Iron Bull:** That stuff I said about you being short and squishy? Never mind. You scare the crap out of me.

**Nyssa:** Awww.

* * *

**Iron Bull:** Cole, is that a sunflower on your hat?

**Cole:** Nyssa put it there. She says I could use some colour.

**Iron Bull:** Really?

**Nyssa:** Don’t look at me like that. I’m right and you know it.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Are you alright, Bull? You seemed a little twitchy in that last fight.

**Iron Bull:** You try having demons sneak up on you in your blind spot and see how much you like it.

**Nyssa:** That's what magic is for. Anything gets too close and—zap! Static.

**Iron Bull:** That’d be great, if I was a mage.

**Nyssa:** If you keep people off my flank, I’ll protect your left.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Why are you staring at me?

**Iron Bull:** I'm just trying to imagine you chopping off an entire arm or leg. You'd have to be wielding a weapon bigger than your entire body.

**Nyssa:** I don't do it like you would. Different, uh, technique.

**Iron Bull:** Are you calling me sloppy?

**Nyssa:** No. More like… you're trying to kill your target, and I'm very much not.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Did I hear correctly? Your name meant ‘liar’?

**Iron Bull:** Qunari don’t have names, just titles. But yeah. Hissrad means ‘keeper of illusions’. So, basically, ‘liar’. Why?

**Nyssa:** _(laughs)_ How extraordinary.

**Iron Bull:** Hey, at least our language makes sense.

* * *

**Iron Bull:** When you’re out doing your tomb raiding or whatever, what’s the thing you miss most?

**Nyssa:** A hot bath.

**Iron Bull:** Really? Not a proper meal, or ale, or men?

**Nyssa:** I can hunt, and I don’t really drink. Men I can do without.

**Iron Bull:** You’re not saying a hot bath is better than sex.

**Nyssa:** A bath doesn’t expect me to tend to its needs while ignoring mine.

**Iron Bull:** _(laughs)_

* * *

_ (if the Chargers are sacrificed) _

**Nyssa:** How are you, Bull?

**Iron Bull:** _(grunts)_

**Nyssa:** That was a stupid question. I’m sorry for that… and for what happened to the Chargers. Krem and I…

**Iron Bull:** You and Krem played cards once a week, right?

**Nyssa:** He said I had a shit diamondback face.

**Iron Bull:** Yeah. You really do.

* * *

_ (if the Qunari dreadnought is sacrificed) _

**Nyssa:** Tal-Vashoth have a fearsome reputation in the Free Marches.

**Iron Bull:** That supposed to make me feel better?

**Nyssa:** A reputation doesn’t have to be true. Even if it were, it does not determine what you care about or what you fight for. Nobody does that but you.

**Nyssa:** You survived Seheron and Orlais and you will survive this. Fuck the Tal-Vashoth.

_ (if the Inquisitor is a qunari) _

  * **Nyssa:** No offense, Inquisitor.
  * **Inquisitor:** None taken.



_ (otherwise) _

**Iron Bull:** _(laughs)_ Thanks, Nyssa.

* * *

**Iron Bull:** Saw you take an arrow in that last fight. How are you doing?

**Nyssa:** Fine! I pulled it out, did some healing magic, now it's good as new.

**Iron Bull:** Huh. You're tougher than you look.

**Nyssa:** What do you mean?

**Iron Bull:** You're just so short and… squishy. How you survive the fights we get into is a mystery.

**Nyssa:** Squishy?

**Iron Bull:** I didn’t say I minded it.

* * *

_ (if Iron Bull was not romanced) _

**Iron Bull:** You doing alright, Nyssa?

**Nyssa:** Yes, I’m fine.

**Iron Bull:** Oh, come on. I can feel your shakes from over here. You're making me nervous.

**Nyssa:** Sorry.

**Iron Bull:** Tell you what. We get back to Skyhold, I'll buy you a drink, and we'll work out those jitters together.

**Nyssa:** I think you’re a little big for me.

**Iron Bull:** Nah. You’re flexible, right? We’ll figure it out.

**Nyssa:** I wasn’t talking about your height.

_ (if Dorian is present) _

  * **Dorian:** _(laughs)_



_ (if Cassandra is present) _

  * **Cassandra:** Maker’s breath, can we please move on?



_ (if Sera is present) _

  * **Sera:** Eugh!



_ (if Vivienne is present) _

  * **Vivienne:** Kindly change the subject, if you please.



* * *

**Iron Bull:** Hey Nyssa, have you ever killed a guy?

**Nyssa:** I literally did ten minutes ago.

**Iron Bull:** Nah, I mean with a real weapon. You’re too small for a sword and shield, but I bet you could do some damage with a dagger or two.

**Nyssa:** Once. I try to avoid having to stab people.

**Iron Bull:** So… you choke them with vines instead.

**Nyssa:** It’s less dirty this way. Trust me.

* * *

**Iron Bull:** Hey Nyssa, I've been meaning to run an idea by you.

**Nyssa:** Yes? Go ahead.

**Iron Bull:** Two words. Elf tossing.

**Nyssa:** What?

**Iron Bull:** Varric's too heavy and Sera didn't like the idea. You're smaller. Perfect for tossing—think about it. I throw you at the enemy, you do your mage thing. Mayhem ensues.  _ Mayhem _ .

**Nyssa:** It wouldn’t work. Even magic can't make me fly.

**Iron Bull:** Alright, then ride on my shoulders. You do your thing, I finish off whoever you set on fire.

**Nyssa:** I'd hit you in the head with my staff every time I cast a spell.

**Iron Bull:** Then use your hands.

**Nyssa:** What if I lost my balance and fell off? I'd choke you with my thighs.

**Iron Bull:** Yeah, still don’t see the problem.

**Nyssa:** Demons won’t wait for you to get your rocks off. And if you’re dead, you can’t drink.

**Iron Bull:** Shit. I didn’t think of that.

* * *

**Iron Bull:** How’s your elf, Nyssa?

**Nyssa:** Freeing slaves, killing Venatori. The usual.

**Iron Bull:** Heh. Knew I liked that guy.


	6. Nyssa and Sera

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last updated 15 May 2020.

**Nyssa:** Do you know any of our language, Sera?

**Sera:** Pfft. I know words that mean things.

**Nyssa:** That’s… literally what a language is.

* * *

**Sera:** ‘Ooh, I’m elfy! I shoot lightning out my arse! Let’s rebuild the empire!’

**Nyssa:** _(Laughs)_

**Sera:** You’re not supposed to laugh! It’s me!

**Nyssa:** _You_ shoot lightning out your arse?

**Sera:** No, I—ugh! Shut it!

* * *

**Sera:** _You_ were someone little?

**Nyssa:** What?

**Sera:** You, bowing and scraping for some rich tits up in Val Royeaux. Didn’t figure you for the type.

**Nyssa:** I'm literally an elf. You can't get much smaller, by your standards.

**Sera:** Well,  _ you _ can't. Cause you’re— _ (laughs) _ Cause—

**Nyssa:** I’m short, yes, I know.

* * *

**Nyssa:** What do you mean when you say ‘real elves’?

**Sera:** Y’know. Elfy elves with the tattoos. “We shall never submit!” Piss.

**Nyssa:** And the elves living in cities, by that logic, are not ‘real elves’.

**Sera:** Your people said it, not me.

**Nyssa:** I know.

* * *

**Sera:** Hey, whats-is-name. You still up for teaching me elfy words?

**Nyssa:** Yes, of course.

**Sera:** How d’you say ‘I’m gonna stripe you up’ in elven?

**Nyssa:** _Na din’an sahlin_. More or less.

**Sera:** What about ‘jackhole’?

**Nyssa:** I don’t think so.

**Sera:** Butt?

**Nyssa:** No.

**Sera:** _(fart noise)_

* * *

**Sera:** Hey Elfy, your ditties are out!

**Nyssa:** No, they’re not.

**Sera:** _(disgusted noise)_ You didn’t even look!

**Nyssa:** I have an older brother, Sera. You’ll have to do better than that.

* * *

**Sera:** You mumbling to yourself again?

**Nyssa:** Just a song my mother taught me. It’s in elven.

**Sera:** Ugh. Don't you ever quit?

**Nyssa:** I can’t quit being an elf, and neither can you, whether you like it or not.

**Sera:** Piss off.

* * *

**Sera:** Hey Elfy!

**Nyssa:** Are you speaking to me?

**Sera:** Yeah, you. Did you see the— _ (laughs) _ Did you see the pictures in that cave back there?

**Nyssa:** Just get it out of your system already.

**Sera:** _(laughs)_ Elf butts! Giant elf butts! All on the cave walls. Big cracks and everything.

**Nyssa:** _ (laughs) _


	7. Nyssa and Solas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last updated 15 May 2020.

**Solas:** You surprise me, Nyssa.

**Nyssa:** Why?

**Solas:** You have not yet referred to me as a ‘flat-ear’, as your people often do. Nor have you denigrated my lack of vallasin.

**Nyssa:** Are you… asking me why I haven’t insulted you yet?

* * *

**Solas:** You  _ are _ Dalish, are you not? 

**Nyssa:** I am.

**Solas:** Then do you not believe yourselves the ‘true elvhen’, and all other elves as lesser?

_ (or, if Inquisitor is an elf) _

  * **Inquisitor:** Solas. Enough.
  * **Nyssa:** It’s alright, Inquisitor.



_ (otherwise) _

**Inquisitor:** Where have I heard that before?

**Nyssa:** It’s an unfortunately common occurrence. 

**Nyssa:** I used to think this way when I was younger and didn’t know any better. I’m sorry you’ve been treated poorly by those who should call you kin.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Have you ever actually spoken to a Dalish elf before?

**Solas:** I encountered some clans on my travels. I offered to share knowledge, only to have it rebuffed.

**Nyssa:** Did you march into their camps and start accusing them of mangling their own history? That would do it.

* * *

**Solas:** You are a mage of considerable talent, Nyssa. Surely you could not have learned such magic under your Keeper?

**Nyssa:** Excuse me?

**Solas:** Your magic is advanced for your youth. Does Dalish magic not tend towards the simple?

**Nyssa:** A compliment followed by an insult. It’s a wonder you bothered to ask at all.

**Solas:** I intended no offense.

**Nyssa:** Well, you offended.

* * *

**Solas:** I owe you an apology,  _ lethallen _ .

**Nyssa:** Yes, you do.

**Solas:** I ask out of curiosity. You have used spells I have not seen in a long time. Not outside the Fade, at least.

**Nyssa:** I had a good teacher. He was wise, if a little unusual.

**Solas:** Is that not how wisdom should be?

**Nyssa:** Fair point.

* * *

**Solas:** This teacher of yours…

**Nyssa:** Why the curiosity?

**Solas:** You are… not what I expected, for a Dalish elf. Your views are unconventional, and unlikely to win you favour among your people. I’m simply curious about who may have shaped you.

**Nyssa:** Felassan taught me how to see the world as it is and not how I wanted it to be. My lessons were not always easy, but they were well-learned.

**Solas:** Indeed.

**Nyssa:** Why are you looking at me like that?

**Solas:** I… it is nothing. Forgive me.

**Nyssa:** You’re forgiven, I suppose, for… whatever that was.

* * *

**Solas:** I assume you visit the Fade with ease, Nyssa. Spirits keep much wisdom that could help you.

**Nyssa:** Not as much as you think. I prefer facts over memories.

**Solas:** Assuming what you know as fact has a basis in truth… and the truth is not always so easily discernible.

**Nyssa:** True.

**Solas:** The powerful have always controlled the truth,  _ lethallen _ . Knowing this is but one step towards finding the answers you seek.

* * *

**Solas:** Your grasp of our people’s language is impressive.

**Nyssa:** How so?

**Solas:** I have heard many a clumsy attempt by Dalish and city elf alike. You speak differently. With confidence. It is… interesting.

**Nyssa:** I was First to the Keeper.

**Solas:** A position that required you to speak and write fluently, I assume.

**Nyssa:** _Ar halam'shiva dirthara mir hahren'al_.

**Solas:** Indeed.

* * *

**Solas:** Am I to understand you left your clan before your training was complete?

**Nyssa:** Yes. It was an impulse decision.

**Solas:** Do you wish you could return?

**Nyssa:** I can return, if I want. When did I ever say I couldn’t?

**Solas:** You did not.

**Solas:** My question is the same regardless. Do you regret it?

**Nyssa:** No. I have more important things to do than sit around feeling sorry for myself.

* * *

**Nyssa:** You read Hard in Hightown, Solas?

**Solas:** It was... interesting.

**Nyssa:** So, who did you feel worked better as a couple? Donnen and Jevlan, or Donnen and Hendallen?

**Solas:** Truthfully, I did not give much thought to it.

**Nyssa:** Aw, where's the fun in that?

**Solas:** I paid more attention to the plot... as I thought was the purpose of reading such a book.

**Nyssa:** _(laughs)_ Like I said. No fun.

* * *

**Solas:** Do you believe in our people’s gods, Nyssa?

**Nyssa:** _That’s_ a complicated question.

**Solas:** I shall rephrase. Do you believe the elven pantheon, if they existed, were gods?

**Nyssa:** No. Sometimes I wish I did.

**Solas:** Why?

**Nyssa:** It would be easier.

* * *

**Solas:** Nyssa, are you well?

**Nyssa:** I’m fine.

_ (if Cole is present) _

  * **Cole:** It's the red lyrium. The song is like a noise, piercing and painful, the pitch raw and wrong.
  * **Nyssa:** Ugh, please don’t make me think about it.
  * **Cole:** Sorry.



_ (otherwise) _

**Solas:** You seem uneasy. Is it the red lyrium? I’m told some dreamers are particularly sensitive to it.

**Nyssa:** Please don’t make me think about it. I may throw up on you.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Will you join us for diamondback tonight?

**Solas:** Are you sure that is wise? At our last game, you—

**Nyssa:** _ That _ was last week.

* * *

**Solas:** With regards to last night's game—

**Nyssa:** No.

**Solas:** No?

**Nyssa:** No.

* * *

**Solas:** How do you find the Inquisition library, Nyssa?

**Nyssa:** It’s surprisingly well-stocked. I thought I saw a few banned books in there.

**Solas:** I suppose you also found Master Tethras’s collection. I caught sight of you reading  _ Swords and Shields _ yesterday.

**Nyssa:** Idle curiosity.

**Solas:** If you wish, I can recommend you some titles I found in my first search of the place.

**Nyssa:** We’re not having this conversation.

* * *

**Solas:** I read your treatise on humoralism, Nyssa.

**Nyssa:** How did you manage to get your hands on it?

**Solas:** Sister Nightingale obtained a copy. It was impressive. And audacious.

**Nyssa:** _ (laughs) _ It was banned in Orlais for fear it would incite riots. Humans don’t like being told their medicine is all bullshit.

* * *

_ (if What Pride Had Wrought is complete, and the sentinel elves were killed) _

**Nyssa:** Why did you stand by and do nothing?

**Solas:** Abelas did not listen to reason. He brought his fate upon himself, as much as I—

**Nyssa:** No,  _ we  _ brought his fate upon him. If we had not been there—

**Solas:** Then the eluvian would have fallen into the Elder One’s hands.

**Nyssa:** _Fenhedis lasa! Elvhen din’an emma him! Quenathra banal lasa ghilan shemlen?_

**Solas:** You are upset.

**Nyssa:** Of course I’m upset!

_ (if the Inquisitor has a diplomatic personality) _

  * **Inquisitor:** Perhaps now is not the time for this conversation.
  * **Solas:** Indeed.



_ (if the Inquistior has a humorous personality) _

  * **Inquisitor:** Don't stop on our account. It was just getting good.
  * **Nyssa:** I’m done.



_ (if the Inquisitor has an aggressive personality) _

  * **Inquisitor:** You know I can hear you, right?
  * **Nyssa:** I have said all I wanted to say.



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ar halam'shiva dirthara mir hahren'al - "I sacrificed (much) to learn from my elders."  
> Elvhen din’an emma him! Quenathra banal lasa ghilan shemlen? - "The People/Our people are dying! Why did you (need to) guide the shemlen (there)?"


	8. Nyssa and Varric

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last updated 15 May 2020.

**Nyssa:** Is it true dwarves worship their ancestors, Varric?

**Varric:** Why are you asking me? I was born on the surface. My life is up here.

**Nyssa:** Curiosity, I suppose. It’s not unheard of for revered leaders to be granted divine status. Many cultures do it. The Chantry does it.

_ (if Cassandra is present) _

  * **Cassandra:** I trust you are not speaking of Andraste.



_ (otherwise) _

**Varric:** As far as I know, the dwarves realize their ancestors are regular people who did extraordinary shit.

**Nyssa:** _(laughs)_ Extraordinary shit?

**Varric:** Hey, I’m not writing this down. I don’t have to make sense.

* * *

**Nyssa:** I find the idea of kalna confusing.

**Varric:** I don’t blame you.

**Nyssa:** Surface dwarves left Orzammar behind for a new life. A new start, a fresh opportunity. Yet these kalna uphold the same caste system that failed them and their kin.

**Varric:** Some people find comfort in tradition, Marigold. Sometimes it’s easier to stick to what you know.

**Nyssa:** I suppose you’re right. I should know this best, I suppose.

* * *

**Varric:** I hear you're a storyteller, Marigold.

**Nyssa:** I’m more of a story listener.

**Varric:** Storytellers listen as much as they talk. Where else would we get the inspiration?

**Nyssa:** Fair point. I did spend a lot of time sharing the old tales with various Dalish clans during my travels. That didn't always go well.

**Varric:** Why am I not surprised?

**Nyssa:** _(laughs)_ It’s probably not what you’re thinking. I’ve just heard… other stories of our gods since I left my clan. Ones I didn’t hear while growing up, and ones the elders don’t like to be told. They _really_ don’t like the ones about Fen’Harel.

**Varric:** Then why bother?

**Nyssa:** Well, surely not everyone likes your books. Will you stop writing because of a few naysayers?

**Varric:** Huh. Fair point.

* * *

**Nyssa:** I think I stepped on one of your caltrops in that fight earlier, Varric.

**Varric:** That's what happens when you don't wear shoes, Marigold. Stepping on spiky shit hurts.

**Nyssa:** I should learn to fly. Or better yet, you can write it into my character.

**Varric:** A magical flying elf. Why not?

* * *

**Nyssa:** I've been enjoying your book, Varric.

**Varric:** You're reading Hard in Hightown?

**Nyssa:** Solas lent it to me. I’m curious, though. Donnen and Jevlan… they are more than friends, yes? I’m picking up on some unresolved romantic tension between them.

**Varric:** You know, Hawke asked me the exact same thing.

**Nyssa:** Well if not them, then who? Belladonna and Hendallen? Or perhaps Donnen and Hendallen… though that seems too obvious.

**Varric:** Wait and see, Marigold.

* * *

**Varric:** You remind me of a friend I had back in Kirkwall.

**Nyssa:** Let me guess. She was Dalish.

**Varric:** Sort of.

**Nyssa:** That doesn't sound promising.

**Varric:** She left her clan and moved to the alienage. There was some argument between her and the Keeper, and her clan wasn't too happy about her practicing blood magic. There was an eluvian, and a demon, and some people died—you know what, never mind.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Will you write about the Inquisition, Varric?

**Varric:** I might, once everything's settled down. Why do you ask? Afraid I might write bad things about you?

**Nyssa:** Surely my favourite dwarf would never do such a thing.

**Varric:** Flattery will get you everywhere, Marigold.

* * *

**Varric:** You have fun at the Winter Palace, Marigold?

**Nyssa:** Did I ever. Political intrigue? Assassinations? Dancing? I  _ love  _ Orlais.

**Varric:** Hey, no need to lay it on that thick.

**Nyssa:** _ (laughs) _

* * *

**Nyssa:** I borrowed Cassandra's copy of  _ Swords and Shields _ , you know.

**Varric:** Oh, I'm going to enjoy this. What've you got for me?

**Nyssa:** Overall I didn't mind it, but some of your characters have questionable anatomy.

**Nyssa:** If you like I could provide you with some illustrations on the limitations of human flexibility. The unclothed body may be easier to write with a visual reference.

**Varric:** Did you just offer to draw me erotica?

**Nyssa:** Not all nudity is sexual, Varric.

**Varric:** Tell that to my readers.

* * *

**Nyssa:** About the mage who blew Kirkwall's chantry to pieces. Why did he do it?

**Varric:** Don't ask me.

_ (if before Here Lies the Abyss is complete) _

  * **Varric:** Ask Hawke. S/he knows him better than anyone else. 



_ (if before Here Lies the Abyss, and Hawke romanced Anders).  _

  * **Varric:** Ask Hawke, but don't expect an answer. It's a very touchy subject. 



_ (otherwise)  _

**Varric:** He wanted to make the first move. Or he thought blowing shit up was a good way to get the Knight-Commander's attention. What does it matter now?

**Nyssa:** It doesn't, I suppose.

* * *

**Varric:** I know that look. You're not still thinking about Anders, are you?

**Nyssa:** What he did bothers me.

**Varric:** It bothered a lot of people, Marigold. That's why the Inquisition had to step in.

**Nyssa:** It’s one thing to say people die in war. We say it’s necessary, or important. How many lives can you sacrifice before it becomes too many to justify? Does it matter if those lives were not willing to be exchanged for a cause, even a just one?

**Varric:** Don't ask me. I'm just the guy who writes the stories.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Have you…?

**Varric:** No, Marigold, I haven’t heard from him yet. You’ll be the first to know when I do.

**Nyssa:** Sorry.

**Varric:** Don’t worry about him. He’ll be fine.

**Nyssa:** Thank you, Varric.

* * *

**Varric:** Marigold, what do you  _ do _ apart from pick through ruins all day?

**Nyssa:** I don't know what you mean.

**Varric:** All work and no play? That's not healthy. Surely even Dalish have a break from ‘elven stuff’ once in a while.

**Nyssa:** That 'elven stuff' is my life's work.

**Varric:** Maybe that's your problem.

* * *

**Varric:** So, you and Fenris.

**Nyssa:** Still curious, are you?

**Varric:** Just wondering what you see in the elf. He does weird shit with his hands and he hates mages. Doesn’t seem like the best start to a relationship.

**Nyssa:** Fenris doesn’t hate mages.

**Varric:** Eh, you should have heard him and Anders get into it back in Kirkwall. ‘Mages will become magisters! Don’t talk to me about slavery! I hate housekeeping!’

**Nyssa:** I’m afraid to ask about that last one.

* * *

**Varric:** So, Marigold, you never answered my question about Fenris.

**Nyssa:** He’s funny and he’s been kind to me. What’s not to like?

**Varric:** I’m sorry, are we talking about the same guy here? Ex-slave, tells a joke once every ten years? Rips hearts out of people’s chests?

**Nyssa:** He tells plenty of jokes when he’s around me. Maybe you’re not his type.

**Varric:** _ (laughs)  _ Fair enough, Marigold.

* * *

**Varric:** Marigold. You’re  _ glowing _ .

**Nyssa:** Am I?

**Varric:** That good, huh?

**Nyssa:** _ (laughs) _ Shh.

* * *

**Nyssa:** You said you were born on the surface, Varric. Do you have no desire to return to Orzammar?

**Varric:** And deal with the nobles' bullshit on top of everything else? No thank you.

**Nyssa:** I meant when all this is over.

**Varric:** Look, Marigold. Orzammar's a part of my family history, it's where my parents came from, where my brother was born. But I like my life on the surface. Spending all your time worrying about the past is no way to live.

**Nyssa:** You don't believe history is worth studying?

**Varric:** Not if it makes you forget who you are.


	9. Nyssa and Vivienne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last updated 15 May 2020.

**Vivienne:** You are an apostate, Nyssa, are you not?

**Nyssa:** Aren’t all mages now apostates?

**Vivienne:** Those mages who chose to put themselves before their fellows are indeed.

**Nyssa:** I am not from the Circles of Magi, nor have I ever been trained by mages in your Chantry. Calling me an apostate implies I rebelled against an authority that holds no power over me.

**Vivienne:** I believe we are arguing semantics now, darling, and you did not answer my question.

**Nyssa:** _ (sighs) _ If it pleases you, then yes.

* * *

**Vivienne:** Some of your spells are most unusual, Nyssa dear.

**Nyssa:** That’s not surprising. Some are self-taught.

**Vivienne:** Did you not previously say you trained under another mage in your clan?

**Nyssa:** It’s true I trained under my Keeper. Dalish magic tends to be practical, but I’ve found the need to defend myself on occasion.

**Vivienne:** Against what, exactly? Templars?

**Nyssa:** Bandits looking to take advantage of a lone traveler. Bears. No small amount of demons.

**Vivienne:** Formidable enemies for a young mage.

**Nyssa:** I did not arrive in the Exalted Plains wet behind the ears, Madame.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Madame Vivienne, is it true you fight a demon as part of your initiation?

**Vivienne:** There is more to it, but yes. A mage must demonstrate she can resist temptation from a demon. It is also a test of will and common sense.

**Nyssa:** But many experienced mages also fall prey to demons.

**Vivienne:** I did not say common sense was all that common, my dear.

* * *

**Vivienne:** Spirit healers are not common, even in Circles. How did you come by such a skill?

**Nyssa:** Before I came to Orlais, I travelled extensively. I learned many skills, some from mages who have unconventional techniques.

**Vivienne:** Meaning what, exactly?

**Nyssa:** Simply that there are other ways of practicing magic that fall outside what the Circles teach.

**Vivienne:** Blood magic, then. Disappointing.

**Nyssa:** I said nothing about blood magic. You assumed. Incorrectly, I might add.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Madame Vivienne, why do Orlesians call your court intrigue the Game?

**Vivienne:** Whatever else would we call it?

**Nyssa:** I don't know, but… calling it a game seems frivolous. Do you not agree?

**Vivienne:** _(laughs)_ It is a game like any other, my dear. There are rules. Expectations. There are players, and there are pawns. There is peril, but the rewards are great. A clever mind and a quick wit are required—at least, if you wish to come out on top. Those who lack both often fall into obscurity, or simply fall.

**Nyssa:** Hmm. Well, when you put it that way, I do see your point.

* * *

_ (if Wicked Eyes & Wicked Hearts is complete) _

**Nyssa:** You seemed happy at the Winter Palace, Madame.

**Vivienne:** I was in my element. We play our best when we know the stakes.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Cold, fire, spirit or lightning magic?

**Vivienne:** I have no particular preference. Each has its use depending on the task at hand, and the enemy you face. You must have noticed some of our more formidable opponents have rather unusual abilities, and can negate our spells with their own magic.

**Nyssa:** I like lightning.

**Vivienne** : I suppose you were happy when the Circles dissolved, Nyssa.

**Nyssa:** I don't know if 'happy' is how I would describe it.

**Vivienne:** Oh? Do tell.

**Nyssa:** The Circles served their purpose when they were to protect and train mages. The Chantry failed to understand what happens to those who are given the power of life and death over another person.

**Vivienne:** And if there are no templars to watch the Circles? Would you have mages govern themselves?

**Nyssa:** It works for the Dalish. Why not for humans?

* * *

**Vivienne:** Do you mean to imply that no Dalish mage has ever fallen prey to a demon?

**Nyssa:** I know of at least one who has. No doubt there are more.

**Vivienne:** Then what is the solution?

**Nyssa:** I don't have one, as of yet. What I do know is if a system does not work, you change it.

* * *

**Nyssa:** Have you ever seen such Fade rifts before, Madame Vivienne?

**Vivienne:** Not at all. And you?

**Nyssa:** I've repaired small tears in the Veil, but nothing like this. I wish I could study them closely, but I like to avoid death by demons.

* * *

_ (if What Pride Had Wrought is completed) _

**Vivienne:** I imagine you are pleased with what you saw at the Temple of Mythal, Nyssa darling.

**Nyssa:** It didn't reveal anything I didn't already know. But if you're curious, I did once take pride in descending from an empire that once covered most of Thedas.

**Vivienne:** Dare I ask what changed?

**Nyssa:** I grew up.


End file.
